


Just Nat

by StevetheIcecube



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Gender Dysphoria, Genderfluid Character, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-01
Updated: 2014-09-01
Packaged: 2018-02-15 17:33:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2237577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StevetheIcecube/pseuds/StevetheIcecube
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nat never really knew what to do with themselves, so they just separated the two things.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Nat

**Author's Note:**

  * For [neverwantedtodance](https://archiveofourown.org/users/neverwantedtodance/gifts).



Nat has always hated the idea of having to be a set thing. Sometimes they loved their school with the good teachers and strict gender-divided uniforms and code of conduct, where they could feel comfortable wearing the skirt and the blouse and the cardigan, hair braided meticulously, looking like they could kill someone happily and yet still being attractive. These days, Nat could sit with and eat with Pepper, Sharon and Maria (also Jane came around when there wasn't a science meet-up).

There were other times Nat hated the school, and all their hair would be pinned and prodded so it was off their neck and they could hide it under an optional hat in the uniform, and they tried to wear trousers but was shut down instantly and ended in a week of detention. Out of school, they would go up a different lane and put on trousers and a jumper that Clint gave them. On these days, Nat sat with Clint in a tree and didn't eat because they were too stressed so instead they pelted Tony and his gang of girls (and the occasional boy), avoiding Bruce because he was nice. It was stressful, but it worked.

But there came the time when Maria changed from being very pretty to holy motherfucking beautiful and the differing moods made Nat want to curl up and die all the time because they didn't know what would come next, or when. Eating got more difficult and school work got more difficult and Pepper started ignoring them because they pelted Tony on the ear and it hit a bit hard and he was half deaf for a few weeks. Clint was still amazing and he started hanging with Maria too so they were all there all the time, and that helped.

Then on a very bad day Nat was crying and Nat never cried because crying was weakness and a plea for attention and all Nat wanted was for no one to notice them so they could just get on with being whoever they wanted to be. But for some reason Maria just took their hand and let them cry, and maybe they skipped a couple of classes but Nat didn't care because they needed this, so they told beautiful, amazing Maria everything, absolutely everything, and they held hands hiding from everyone else for a long time, long enough that Clint got out of school and came over, and Maria explained and Clint smiled and left to pelt Steve with small items instead because Steve didn't mind (Steve had a protective friend, but Clint was friends with him and they made a game out of it all).

It was better with Maria and Clint knowing and they were less stressed when two people called them Nat and they always checked up on them and cut class when Nat needed to get out.

The best thing was when handholding changed to kissing and kissing changed to meals together, even if it were picnics of little crappy sausages that ended in lots of kissing, and Nat was happy just being Nat for the moment.


End file.
